This award supports a specialty "International Workshop on the Agricultural Impacts of Air Quality," a 3-day symposium to be held in the Washington, D.C. area during 2006. The workshop is jointly sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture, will be open to the community at large, and will cover a broad range of topics concerning the role of agriculture in Earth system science. Topics open for discussion will include: environmental impacts of agricultural practices; agriculturally emitted trace gases to the atmosphere; biogeochemical processing of natural and anthropogenic species in agriculture; and climate effects associated with each of these. The broader scientific impacts of this project include advancing our understanding of the influences of agricultural practices and emissions on rural and regional air quality. A synthesis and integration document detailing workshop proceedings and findings will be submitted for science journal publication and also made available to the regulatory community to assist with policy decisions. In addition, the workshop will bring together established researchers and early career scientists, providing invaluable opportunities for professional interactions in a focused and productive forum. Travel support under this award will facilitate attendance by a number of early career scientists from U.S. institutions, with particular emphasis placed on attracting applications from minorities and other underrepresented groups.
